Automatic roll-cleaner for spinning-machines



`N1Tnn STATES PATENT Orino.

VAUTOMATIC vRL-LJCLEANER FOR SPINNINGVACHINES.)

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,872, dated March 6, 1888.

YApplication tiled April 21, 1887.

is to feed forward the roping as the carriagev begins its outward movement, and to hold the roping during the latter part of such movement, in order that the portion fed may be properly drawn as the carriage recedes, and in order to effectually perform this function the surface of said rolls should be free from dirt or other obstructing matter. In practice, however, it is found that the loose bers and particles of the roping, together with the dust and other impurities contained therein, lodge uponl the surface of the rolls, and, being permeated with the natural oil of the wool, gum the rolls to such an extent as to seriously impair their perfect operation, and either in part or altogether prevent the feeding and drawing of the roping. The upper roll, being readily removable from the machine, can be easily cleanedthe machine, but also while the machine is in.

actual operation, so that no time whatever is lost by reason of the cleaning process.

To this end my invention consists in the automatic rollcleaner, hereinafter fully decribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Serial No. $235,645. (No model.)

Referring t0 the drawings, in which like letters designate like parts in the several figures, Figure l is a side elevation of the roll-cleaner. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section thereof, taken upon the line xx of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing in end elevation the three rolls, upon two of which the cleaner is adapted to operate, and showing in dotted lines the latter applied to the rolls. Fig. 4 is anend elevation of a slightly modified form of the cleaner. Fig. 5is a plan View of the two lower rolls with the cleaner applied thereto.

The letters A A designate the scrapers,con sisting-of plates of thin sheet-steel curved to conform to the periphery of the rolls to which the cleaner is to be applied. At the bottom of their curved portion said plates are prolonged to form a dat extension, within which are slots a, through which pass the bolts C,by which they are adj ustably secured to the earriage B, said bolts passing through suitable holes in the carriage and receiving upon their lower ends nuts O and interposed washers N, by means of which they are tightened.

The carriage B consists of a metallic plate of proper length to extend beneath both of the.

rolls to be cleaned, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and in width slightly less than the distance between the several strands of roping, as they are arranged in the ordinary spinningmachine, which is about two inches. rllhe carriage is provided with a centrally-located longitudinal slot,B,the function of which, as well as the reason for making the carriage of the Width stated, will be presently explained.

The letter D designates a bracket bent up wardly at one end, where it supports the wheel G, which, by its contactl with one or the other of the rolls, propels the carriage in one or the other direction longitudinally of the rolls, as hereinafter described. The wheel Gis journaled upon the bolt H, which passes through a vertical slot, H', in the bracket D, as shown in Fig. 4. A jam-nut, I, upon said bolt, located between the wheel and the bracket, and

Aa tighteningnut, K, upon the opposite side of the bracket-,provide for adjusting the bolt vertically within the slottedbracket, and also for compensating for wear between the outer surface of the wheel and the inner surface of the head of the bolt.v

The horizontal portion of bracket D extends beneath the carriage,to which it is adjustably connected by means of the bolt F, extending downwardly through the Slot in the carriage and through the said bracket. Beneath the bracket the bolt F receives the handle E, which I prefer to make of wood, said handle having Seated within a rectangular socket in its outer end a nut, P, whereby the turning of Said handle in one direction will securely clamp the bracket between the inner end of the former and the carriage, and the turning of the handle in the opposite direction will loosen said bracket, so that it can be set at any desired angle to the carriage, or can be adjusted within the Slot longitudinally thereof. At its inner end, where it contacts with the bracket, the handle is preferably provided with the metallic ferrule L and the washer M, thelatter serving to prevent the ferrule from being forced backward upon the handle.

In the diagram Shown in Fig. 3 the letters STdesignate thelower rolls, which are mounted in bearings in the frame of the machine, and V designates the upper roll,which isheld down upon the lower rolls by its own weight merely. The strands of roping a pass from the ropingrolls (not Shown) through the guide b, between the upper and lower rolls, as shown, to the bobbins c upon the reciprocating carriage. (Not illustrated.) In the ordinary spinningmachine the strands of roping are arranged about two inches apart, as hereinbefore stated, and the cleaner is of Such width that it can be readily passed between any two of the strands in applying it to the rolls.

The operation ofthe cleaner above described iS as follows: The Scrapers A A being adj usted by means of slots a and bolts C to the proper position to closely hug the peripheries of rolls S T, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the handle E is loosened and bracket D is adjusted within the slot B in the carriage, and its outer end set at such an angle to the carriage that one ofthe rolls S or T will be tightly clamped between the wheel G and one of the Scrapers. If necessary, the wheel G is also adjusted vertically within the bracket to secure this result. In Fig. 5 the wheel is shown as being adjusted to co-operate with scraper A in clamping roll T betweenthem. Theseadjustmentsbeingmade, the cleaner is ready to be applied to' the rolls. For this purpose the operatorgrasps the cleaner by its handle E, and passing it between the two strands of yarn at the end of the rolls places one of the Scrapers against the outer side of one of the rolls S T, and by an upward pressure causes the other scraper to spring back sufficiently to pass around the outer side of the opposite roll, thereby clamping said rolls between the two Scrapers, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The same movement clamps one of the rolls, as the roll T in Fig. 5, between the wheel G and the scraper embracing said roll, the rolls S and T revolving in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 8. As soon as the cleaner is thus placed thereon, it begins to move longitudinally thereof, such movement being caused by the beveled periphery of the wheel G traveling against the periphery of the roll clamped between said wheel and one of the Scrapers. The bracket D, being set at an angle to the carriage and consequently to the roll, causes the path of contact between the wheel and roll to follow a spiral line about the roll, as indicated by the dotted line V in Fig. 5, and, by means of the friction between the wheel and roll ,draws the carriage and scraper in the direction of the arrow l in said figure. This movement continues until the carriage arrives at the bearing at the end of the rolls, when the operator grasps the handle E and withdraws the cleaner and springs it upon the next section of rolls, there being a number of such sections arranged end to end in each machine, and so on until the cleaner has traversed the rolls from one end of the machine to the other. As the carriage advances, the end walls of the Scrapers remove every obstruction from the surface of the rolls and leave them perfectly clean. The changes from one section of rolls to the next one are made by the operator while the carriage pauses at the end of its inward movement, and, being al mostiustantly performed, do not interfere with his other duties. It will thus be seen that the cleaner' automatically performs its function while the machine is in actual operation.

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be observed that the Scrapers do not come in contact with the strands of roping at the rear side nor with the strands of twisted yarn at the front side of the rolls, and that consequently the cleaner does not interfere in any manner with the 0peration of the rolls.

The speed of the movement of the carriage can be regulated by varying the angle between the bracket D and the carriage, and its direction can be reversed by adjusting the wheel G to contact with the opposite roll. The steel Scrapers A A are preferably tempered to increase their durability, and the heads of bolts C, against which the rolls revolve, are casehardened.

In Fig. et I have shown a slight modiiication in the construction of the Scrapers, in which scraper A is removed and a scraper, R, secured to the carriage in its place, said Scraper It being constructed to embrace both sides of the roll S. This latter construction is useful only in machines running at a high speed, when the operator might not have time to ap` ply the cleaner upon both rolls at one pause of the carriage. \Vith the modified construction he could apply the Scraper It to the front roll at one pause of the carriage, which would support the cleaner until the next inward movement, when he could spring the Scraper A upon the rear roll.

For all machines running at the ordinary speed, however, the operator has ample time to manipulate the cleaner, as first described; and. I prefer that construction.

The roll-cleaner as thus constructed is Sim- IOO ple and inexpensive and yet effective in operation. Vhile I have described its function as being to clean the rolls of spinning-machines, it is obvious that it would be equally effective for the purpose of cleaning rolls of other machines.

Various modifications can be made in the details of construction within the spirit of my invention-as, for instance, adapting the cleaner to operate upon a single roll, instead of upon two, as described, which could be done by omitting` the scraper Ain Fig. 4 altogether,

and arranging a bar or guide, as shown by dotted lines at m in said igure, against which the handle E could travel, tov retain the propelling-wheel in contact with the roll.

Having` thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to. secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A cleaner for the rolls of spinning and other machines, consisting of a carriage having secured thereto curved Scrapers adapted to partially embrace two of the rolls to be cleaned, and havingapropelling-Wheel,and means,sub stantially as described, for holding said wheel in contact with either of said rolls at au angle thereto, combined and operating substantially as set forth, whereby when said Wheel is in contact with one of said rolls the carriage will be moved longitudinally thereof in one direction, and when it is in contact vwith the other of said rolls the carriage Will be moved in the opposite direction.

2. In a cleaner for the rolls of spinning and other machines, the combination of a carriage having curved scrapers adj ustably secured thereto adapted to partially embrace the rolls to be cleaned, with4 a propellingwheel, a

bracket having at one end a bearing for said wheel and connected at the other end to the carriage, and means, substantially as described, for adj Listing said bracket at any desired angle to the carriage, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination,with the carriage B,hav ing the curved Scrapers A A secured thereto, of the bracket D, the wheel G, mounted in a bearing at its outer end, and a bolt and nut connecting the inner end of said bracket to the carriage, whereby said bracket may be secured at different angles to the carriage, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination'of carriage B, Scrapers A A', bracket D, wheel G, and handle E, having the fixed nut P, with bolt F, connecting said carriage, bracket, and handle, arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

5. rIhe combination ofthe carriage B, having the centrally-disposed slot, and having the VScrapers A A adjustably secured thereto, of

bracket D, wheel G, handle E, bolt F, passing through the slot in the carriage and through said bracket and handle, and nut I), seated within a socket in the handle, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the carriage having the scrapers A A secured thereto, of the bracket D, having the vertical slotted outer end, as shown, wheel G, bolt H, passing through the center of said wheel and through the slot in the bracket, nuts I and K upon said bolt, and a nut and bolt securing the inner end of said bracket to the carriage,whereby provision is made for adjusting said wheel .G both vertically and laterally with respect to the carriage, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with the carriage and propelling-wheel arranged' and operating sub; stantially as shown and described, of the Scrapers A A', each having a slotted horizontal extensiomas shown,bolts C, passing th rough the slots therein and through the carriage, and

lnuts. O, substantially as set forth.

THOMAS O. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

W. H. CHAPMAN, H. K. HA'Wns. 

